


A bouquet of paper flowers hiding behind a back brace

by Emilys_List



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Dating, F/M, Fluff, Sickfic, The Job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-21
Updated: 2008-05-21
Packaged: 2017-11-28 12:39:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilys_List/pseuds/Emilys_List
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They wanted to take the romance and literally break its back, as an homage to you… we took the romance of the show and we pushed it downstairs… and it's slowly recovering." -<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=a4TD5CKWvEg">John Krasinski, EW.com interview with Jenna Fischer</a>.  Pam is injured in a high heeled-related incident and faces a recovery, a new relationship, and a sex-less summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A bouquet of paper flowers hiding behind a back brace

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize. They belong to Mssrs. Gervais, Merchant, and Daniels, and all associated corporations. No copyright infringement is intended.

On their first date, Thursday night, they grabbed a casual dinner. There was a lot of talking and laughing, like she had remembered, but it felt mostly like a first date – a little awkward and nerve wracking. In the parking lot, after he walked her to her car, she yanked on his tie and their lips brushed.  
  
“God,” she said, breathless. She kissed him again before getting it together and saying goodnight.  
  
+  
  
On their second date – lunch the next day – he told her about Jan’s breakdown and she listened attentively. “Wow, she is so bat-shit crazy,” she murmured over her yogurt. “But still, poor Jan.”  
  
He looked directly into her eyes. “Exactly.”  
  
They went for a walk outside, eventually ending up making out in the backseat of his car. He slid his hand up her skirt and she yelped. “No, that was good! I just – sorry. I was just surprised.” She went back to kissing him and urged his hand under the hem. After that, for the rest of the day, Pam didn’t notice her skirt was on backwards.  
  
+  
  
On their third date, he picked her up bearing daisies. She grinned at him from her landing, the end of that day’s sunset as his backdrop. Very flattering. She locked the door, prying her eyes away from him for just a second. In her new heels – purchased in hope for an occasion such as this – she took a step forward and tumbled down the short staircase.  
  
+  
  
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she kept mumbling on the way to the hospital. In reality, the pain left her wanting a stick between her jaws, as if giving birth in the 19th century. Needless to say, the pain was making her a little loony. Did Jim really have flames in his hair? Later, he held her hand as she rested, drugged to the gills. “Sorry,” she said, to one of the four Jims in the room. They all answered back, “Don’t worry,” as she drifted out of consciousness.  
  
+  
  
“It was supposed to be last night,” she wailed. “I’m tired of not having sex with you.”  
  
“Uh, Pam?” He whispered, tipping his head to her mom sitting in the corner.  
  
Molly waived. “Hi Sweetie.”  
  
Dropping her voice to what she assumed was quieter, she told him what various things they’d missed out on. He blushed. “You are… a mess on drugs.”  
  
+  
  
Dates four through fifty-five were the same.  
  
A welcoming kiss. Takeout, brought by Jim. He’d sling an arm around her shoulder and while they watched TV, she’d nod off on his shoulder.  
  
“Look, we skipped to five years into our relationship,” she said sleepily one night during Psych. He frowned. If he was forced to admit it, though, this wasn’t bad.  
  
Slowly she started to heal, to mend. “It’s all due to my exquisite home care,” she said one night on the phone to her mother. He grinned to himself in the kitchen.  
  
She went back to work, welcomed by a medically themed party. After Michael made a joke about “playing doctor,” she decided it had been too much exertion for one day and Jim brought her home.  
  
Weeks later, Dr. Ramirez gave her the green light to resume physical activity and Pam hugged her.  
  
+  
  
On their 51st date, she picked him up wearing flats and non-constricting clothing – not exactly sexy, but at least she was upright. She handed him a bouquet of paper flowers she’d been clandestinely folding all day.  
  
He was speechless and pleased. They went to see The Borne Ultimatum and held hands until hers crept to his thigh. They left early, uninterested in the ending, and forewent dinner. Nearly naked in his bed, they looked at each other carefully. “Are you comfortable?” He asked. She nodded, although she wasn’t entirely. “Hey, we don’t have to – we can wait—“ And that’s when she jumped him.  
  
After, later, gasping, it occurred to her that this had been well worth the wait.  
  
/end.  



End file.
